You Belong To Me
by skitzafrat
Summary: SPR takes on a new case that leads them to a past filled with lies, deceit, and murder. Can they solve the case before it results in the death of one of their own? Sequel to Voices of the Dead.
1. Prologue

**Well I promised a sequel to my previous story, Voices of the Dead, and here it is!**

**I know this first chapter is very short but the rest will be longer (:**

**I hope you all find it intriguing!**

**Please read and don't forget to review and tell me what you think!**

_She watched in terror as the scene unfolded before her eyes. Blood was everywhere; on the walls, on the floor… on her. She saw the others on the ground, no longer moving,… lifeless. She looked back up as he came rushing at her once more, knife raised in his hand. Red eyes glared down at her with malice as she stood frozen in place. She closed her eyes, waiting for the final blow, but it never came. She opened her eyes and saw him standing before her, his arm holding the knife shaking as he seemed to be struggling with himself._

_"No!" he shouted. "I won't let you have her!"_

_She didn't know who he was talking to at that moment, but it didn't matter. She continued to stare at him until he looked at her, locking her eyes with his own, and she saw that they were no longer red. He seemed to be gaining control of himself and the knife that had been previously raised towards her slowly turned towards himself. With a final effort, he struck himself in the chest, the sharp blade piercing his heart. A loud scream was heard, but it didn't come from the man. Instead, a dark shape emerged from him, screeching, and she watched as it was thrown across the room where it remained immobile._

_She returned her gaze to the man before her, his breath now coming in loud rasps. Tears filled her eyes as realization hit her. She knelt down beside him and threw her arms around his neck, sobbing._

_He looked at her and with great effort whispered, "I'm so sorry… please... forgive me."_

_"No! Don't say that!" she shouted._

_"Please... you must get out of here... hurry... before it's to late."_

_"I won't leave you!"_

_"Please… please," he pleaded._

_The dark figure behind them began to stir and slowly rose up. The man saw this and took her in his arms one last time whispeing in her ear, "Run! You... have to go! Now!"_

_Hearing the desperation in his voice, she understood what he was telling her. She nodded her head sadly, stood up, and began to move away from him, the dark shape still looming ominously behind him._

_As she turned to leave he whispered one last time, "I… I love you."_

_She ran then, as fast as her legs could carry her. But it was not enough. The shadow was too fast. It caught her in an instant and threw her. A sharp wave of pain shot threw her head as it connected with the wall. She collapsed in a heap on the floor, trying desperately to remain conscious. Her vision blurred as she tried to focus on the dark figure coming towards her, red eyes gleaming. She felt cold hands close around her throat and she knew it was the end. The icy fingers squeezed tighter and tighter, cutting off any air supply to her burning lungs. The last thing she heard as her vision faded was a low, menacing laugh and a voice that sent shivers down her spine._

_"You belong to me."_

**Please review!**

**Update soon (^_^)**

* * *


	2. Confusion

**Heyo!**

**Here's the next chappie! It's not too exciting, mostly recapping a few things and explaining a few others. It will get better next chapter though!**

**Please read and review and tell me what you think!**

**Enjoy! (:**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ghost Hunt!**

**xoxoxoxo**

The cold winter air blew wildly throughout the city, making the freshly fallen snow fly into the faces of those brave enough to wander outside. A young woman dashed down the sidewalk, coat clutched tightly around her and scarf flying dangerously in the wind. She halted in front of a building, on the front of which was written the letters S.P.R. The young woman quickly entered the building and climbed the stairs to the second floor. There she opened a door adorning the same letters as the front of the building.

As soon as she walked in, a voice called out, "Mai, you're late!"

"I know, I know," the girl named Mai responded. "_Some_ of us don't have the luxury of cars," she added under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing."

"Well then stop mumbling and make some tea."

Mai sighed. She should have seen that one coming. She removed her jacket, and the rest of her winter apparel, before heading into the bathroom to check over her appearance. Her cinnamon colored eyes gazed into the mirror and she noticed her short brown hair was matted to her head, courtesy of her hat, and her cheeks were still pink from the cold. She hastily tried to un-stick her hair from her head before heading out to make tea.

As she busied herself with the task she thought of how things have been around the office lately. Her narcissistic, tea-loving boss she called Naru has yet to take a case since the one on the island. Instead he's been locked up in his office, emerging only when absolutely necessary. She supposed she couldn't blame him. After all, she was the one who dropped the bomb that his dead twin brother had started appearing in her dreams again, even though he had been laid to rest. She assumed Naru was trying to figure out the reason why Gene was back. The thought that irked her the most, however, was that he doing so on his own, refusing to ask anyone for help. Considering the fact that it was her dreams Gene appeared in, you'd think Naru would at least ask her to talk to Gene and try to figure out the reason for his return.

She thought back on when she had first told Naru about his brother. They had just solved the blood ritual case on the remote island and were on the boat heading back when she divulged what she had seen in her dream.

**xoxoxoxo**

_She walked to the back of the boat to find Naru, arms crossed, gazing back at the diminishing island. She paused for a moment, taking in Naru's calm fa ade, his hair ruffled slightly by the breeze. A slight bump of the boat brought her back to her senses and she continued forward until she stood next to him by the rail. They stood quietly for several moments before Mai worked up the nerve to speak.  
_  
_'Now is as good a time as any to tell him,' she thought.  
_  
_"Ne, Naru...?" She began hesitantly.  
_  
_He just continued to look out over the water as she fumbled for the right words.  
_  
_"It's Gene."  
_  
_Naru visibly stiffened at the name of his dead twin, but continued to remain silent._  
_  
"He's back "_

**xoxoxoxo**

The whistle of the tea kettle brought Mai out of her silent reverie and she finished preparing the tea. She grabbed two cups of the freshly made substance and went first to drop one off for Lin, who nodded gratefully, then made her way down the hall and stopped in front of Naru's closed door. She knocked lightly to announce her presence then entered the dark office.  
Naru, clad in all black like usual, was sitting at his desk staring at his computer screen, and didn't bother to look up when Mai walked in.

_Typical_, thought Mai.

She set the cup of tea in front of him and turned to exit, not bothering to wait for a 'thank you' she knew would never come. She almost made it to the door before he spoke.

"Mai."

She turned around to find him looking up at her with his dark blue, calculating eyes. Behind his cold stare, Mai could detect swirls of emotion, despite his attempt to hide it. She felt an overwhelming urge to comfort him in some way.

"You can talk about it you know," she said softly.

Instantly, the emotion was gone from his eyes and he glared at her for a moment longer before returning his gaze back to his computer. When he replied, his voice was like ice.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Naru... " began Mai but was cut off by Naru.

"I don't believe I pay you to stand around and run your mouth off all day. Get to work," he spat.

Naru's attitude was making Mai angry. She spun on her heel and walked towards the door. As she opened it she turned her head slightly and said over her shoulder, "You're not the only one affected by this you know."

Slamming the door behind her she stalked off to her own desk. Fuming, she began her work filing away old cases.

_That jerk!_ She thought. _There's just no talking to him!  
_  
In fact, Mai was becoming more and more confused by her black-haired boss. When he had first told them all who he really was she was shocked yes, but she recovered quickly. Then there was the discovery of his twin brother Gene, who was recently deceased and had been appearing in her dreams. After locating his body, Naru returned immediately to England to finally put his brother to rest. Before he left, Mai had confessed her love for him, but he just threw it back in her face, saying it was his twin she was in love with. Then Naru comes back from England and acts like he never left. To Mai, he seemed different somehow, almost kinder? At the end of their last case, she swore she saw concern in his eyes when he looked at her. But now, after discovering that Gene was back, Naru had returned to his old self, becoming (if possible) even colder towards Mai then he had ever been.

Mai sighed. _Why is everything always so complicated with him?_

A soft knock on the door brought Mai out of her thoughts and she looked up to greet their guest.

**xoxoxoxo**

To say that Naru was shocked was an understatement. The words Mai had muttered as she left his office floated around in his brain. Of course she would be affected by Gene's return. He was, after all, her spirit guide. Naru silently berated himself for treating Mai the way he did. He couldn't help it. The emotions that had been running through him since she told him of his brother's return were overwhelming him. He wasn't sure what to feel anymore.

He had most certainly not forgotten Mai's confession to him before he left for England, but he had been scared that she had meant it for Gene. So instead of opening himself up, he shot her down. But during his time in England, he brooded over what could have been. Even Lin had noticed something different about him. Finally, under the pretence of a 'vast amount of paranormal activity', he returned to Japan to see if he could figure out his own feelings. He wasn't sure himself what it was that he felt for his young assistant. He couldn't explain how his heart beat faster every time he was in the same room with her. But he never showed his confusion, constantly hiding behind that stoic mask he always kept firmly in place.

But then, when Mai had revealed to him on their last case that Gene was back, he began to panic. He thought for sure that Mai would choose Gene over himself. His brother was always the more likable one, while he was the brainy one. Why should she choose him when all he ever did was insult her and make her feel like a child?

Then there was his concern with the fact that Gene shouldn't be back at all. He had been racking his brain for any reasons he would return but none of them made any sense. He had even been turning down cases, instead using the time to conduct research but still was unable to find anything.

Naru sighed. This wasn't going the way he planned.

Just then, a knock sounded on his door.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Naru, there's a client out here who would like to speak with you," came Mai's voice from behind the closed door.

He nodded, then remembered she couldn't see him.

"I'll be there shortly," he replied, as he got up from his chair left his office for the main room.

**xoxoxoxo**

**I ask once again... please review! I love hearing from you all!**

**Update soon (^_^)**


	3. Shadows

**Heeeeere it is! Chapter 3!**

**A little more excitement in this chapter. Finally get to find out what this case is about YAY!**

**Thank you to all who have added this story to fav/alert! I trust that means you are enjoying it, yes? A special thanks to all those who have reviewed. Keep 'em coming!**

**Now, on with the story! (:**

**xoxoxoxo**

Mai sat quietly in her seat, listening to the exchange between Naru and their guest as Lin typed away on his computer. The man that had walked into the office looked to be at least seventy years old, with a balding head and age lines adorning his face and hands. The hair that he did have was gray with age and he wore thick glasses, indicating his bad eyesight. He told them his name was Watanabe Akira and Mai noted that he looked very weary, like he had been carrying a heavy burden for some time.

A cough sounded from somewhere and Mai snapped back to reality. She looked over to see Naru glaring at her; he had caught her day dreaming again. Then she noticed that Lin and Watanabe-san were looking at her as well. She blushed and looked down at her lap, mumbling an inaudible apology.

Naru turned his attention back to the old man.

"Continue," he stated.

Akira nodded and began to speak.

"I own a large house on the outskirts of town. I don't live there myself, but rent it out instead. Lately, however, I can't even do that. No one will rent that house out of fear. Every family that has lived there, especially in recent years, has moved out almost immediately. The last family to live there was slaughtered. The police say they were able to solve the case with the evidence they had, but I'm not so sure they are correct. The others that lived there before tell me that it is haunted. There are screams that are heard throughout the house, and some have even heard crying. Others have seen flashes of a bluish white light moving throughout the house.

"Have you experienced any paranormal activity yourself?" asked Naru.

Akira paused before answering, a look of fear in his eyes.

"Not those particular incidents no… What I have seen is a little different. I was at the house, doing some routine maintanence in-between renters, when the building started shaking. The door to the room I was in slammed shut and wouldn't open. All the lights went out and I heard an evil laugh that seemed to come form nowhere, yet everywhere at once. Then a voice whispered menacingly, 'You belong to me'. Just as suddenly as it had begun it stopped and everything went back to normal. Well, almost everything. On one of the walls was written, in blood, the very same words the eerie voice had said. I left the house immediately and haven't been back since. That's when I decided to ask for professional help and I'm asking you now, will you please help?"

Silence enveloped them as Akira finished his story.

Mai stared at Naru, trying to figure out if he would take the case or not. For a moment it looked like he wasn't going to accept. Then he nodded slightly saying, "We will need a room cleared for our base and two bedrooms prepared."

"Yes, of course. Anything you need Shibuya-san," said Akira.

He continued to thank Naru for taking the case as he exited the office.

As soon as he was gone, Naru turned to Mai.

"You know what to do," he said, then turned and walked back into his office and shut the door.

Line retreated to his office as well, leaving Mai alone in the main room once again.

She didn't waste any time in calling the other members of the SPR team. Everyone sounded excited at the prospect of a new case, even Masako. It had been a while since they had all been on a case together. Yes, the others stopped in now and then to see how Mai, Lin, and Naru were doing, but it wasn't the same as being on a case. She was glad everyone was able to make it for this one, even Yasuhara was coming.

Mai was in such a good mood when she finished calling that she decided to surprise Naru with a cup of tea. She had just finished making it when his call came for more tea. She smirked when she opened the door and walked to his desk, a steaming cup of tea in her hands. She relished the momentary look of shock that flittered across his face as she set the cup down in front of him. She turned and walked out of his office, grinning ear to ear.

**xoxoxoxo**

Mai rolled over in her bed and slowly opened her eyes. She gazed sleepily at the alarm clock. Her eyes widened when she saw the time, and she nearly had a heart attack. The clock was flashing 12:00, indicating that the power had gone off sometime during the night. She grabbed her phone to find out what time it really was and saw that it was already half past eight.

Mai shot out of bed, tripping on the blankets in the process, and rushed around her small apartment to get ready. She threw some clothes on, praying that they matched, combed her hair quickly, and brushed her teeth. She practically flew out of her apartment and raced down the snowy streets towards the office of SPR where she was certain an angry Naru was waiting for her.

_He's going to kill me!_ she thought.

**xoxoxoxo**

Naru glared in the general direction of Mai's apartment building.

_Where is she?_ he asked himself for what seemed to be the hundredth time. _Maybe something happened…_

His blue eyes widened a fraction at the thought, but a moment later his glare returned as he caught sight of the brown-haired girl sprinting down the sidewalk.

"You're late," he stated as soon as she was in hearing range.

"I… power… alarm…" came Mai's breathless reply.

Naru raised an eyebrow at her.

"Mai, I don't speak jibberish."

The girl huffed at him and tried to catch her breath.

"I said the power went out in my apartment building last night, and so my alarm never went off this morning."

"Then perhaps you should use a more reliable alarm clock, such as your phone."

Mai blushed. She hadn't thought of that.

"Let's go. The others are already on their way," said Naru as he turned towards the van where Lin was already seated in the drivers seat.

Mai followed suit, and soon they were off to their destination. They had a two hour drive ahead of them, and despite the fact that she just woke up, it didn't take Mai very long to fall asleep.

_Mai looked around and once again found herself in her dream world. A hand on her shoulder made her spin around._

_'Gene,' she breathed._

_He smiled at her like always, but she thought she saw something else there as well. Was it sadness?_

_'Gene, what's wrong? And why are you back? I, we, thought you moved on.'_

_Naru's twin didn't answer, but continued to smile as he turned around and pointed._

_Mai looked at what he was pointing at and saw an old two-story house, surrounded by trees. The house looked well cared for, despite its age. The paint, a dark brown color, was un-chipped, and the doors and windows all looked relatively new. On the one side of the house was a large garden, occupied by many trees and flowers of all sorts._

_Movement out of the corner of her eye made Mai glance at one of the windows on the second floor. Her heart almost stopped beating as her breath caught in her throat. There, staring out of the window was a dark shadow. It vaguely resembled a human in form, but the most terrifying aspect about it was its eyes. They glowed red, and they were staring straight at Mai._

Mai opened her eyes as she gasped. She looked around and found herself lying sideways into the passenger seat of the van. That's when she realized that they had stopped moving. Neither Lin nor Naru were anywhere to be seen within the van. Then she came to the conclusion that she must have woken up when Naru left his seat. Her face reddened at the thought of sleeping against Naru.

Mai quickly clambered out of the vehicle and looked around for any sign of her boss. She saw Bou-san's car sitting next to the van, so she knew the others must be here too. She glanced around and located them all standing at the entrance to the very same house she had just seen in her dream. She caught up to them just as Watanabe-san finished telling them where they could find their rooms.

"You'll be located on the first floor. You can use the living room as a base if you'd like, and there are bedrooms on either side of it. Feel free to use any other part of the house as you see fit as well. I will not be staying here, but if you need anything at all please don't hesitate to call. I'll leave you a number that you can reach me at."

Watanabe-san handed Naru a piece of paper that presumably held the old man's number.

"I'll take my leave then. I wish you all the best of luck."

The old man walked briskly to his car, got in, and drove away.

"He seemed in a hurry to leave," stated Ayako.

"Yeah well, wouldn't you if you had a ghost telling you things like, 'you belong to me'?" said Bou-san.

Before an argument could break out between the two, Naru spoke.

"Takigawa-san, Lin, unload the equipment and set up base. Matsuzaki-san and Hara-san will do a sweep of the house for anything unusual. Yasuhara-san, Brown-san, I want you to go into town and do some research on this house."

Everyone dispersed to complete their designated tasks, mumbling under their breaths.

"What about me?" asked Mai.

Naru glanced briefly at her before replying.

"Tea."

**xoxoxoxo**

**Hope you enjoyed and don't forget to review!**

**Update soon (^_^)**


	4. Revelations

**Don't have much to say about this chapter so... Enjoy!**

**Don't forget to reveiw! (:**

**xoxoxoxo**

"Turn it a little to the left. There."

"Alright that's the last one. We're heading back to base."

Mai sat in front of the monitors in base, directing Bou-san and Lin as they set up the cameras.

"They're on their way back, Naru," Mai told her boss, who was looking over a file he held in his hands.

Without even looking up he replied, "Good. When they return, I want you and Takigawa-san to take a recording of the temperature in each room."

Mai sighed and nodded. Moments later the door to base flew open and in traipsed Bou-san and Lin. Mai relayed to Bou-san what Naru wanted them to do and they were about to leave when a loud scream pierced the air.

"That sounded like Ayako!" gasped Mai, and she bolted out of the room. The rest quickly dashed after her, following in her wake to the source of the scream, which had come from one of the rooms on the second floor. Mai and the others rounded the corner and came face to face with…

Ayako standing on a chair, a look of terror on her face, and Masako sitting on the ground, glaring daggers at the frightened priestess.

"What happened?" asked Mai slowly, confused by the situation in front of her.

"R-r-rat!" squeaked Ayako.

At first no one said a word, everyone trying to contain their laughter.

"She saw a rat, screamed, and pushed me down in her attempt to get up on that chair," explained Masako, her words dripping with annoyance. The medium then stood up with as much dignity she could muster and stalked out of the room.

Silence followed until Bou-san snorted and started laughing, unable to contain it any longer. Still snickering he began searching around the room for the rodent. By this time Mai could hardly contain her own laughter and a small giggle escaped her lips before she too succumbed to laughing at the older woman's expense. Naru looked on impassively as usual, but Mai thought she saw a small smirk play across Lin's features.

Suddenly Bou-san's voice was heard from a corner of the room.

"Aww, you mean this little guy?" he asked innocently as he held up said creature by the tail.

Ayako shrieked even louder.

"Get that thing away from me!"

The monk just laughed and took a small step towards her. The miko screamed and ran from the room, Bou-san chasing after her, laughing manically.

Sighing, Naru and Lin also turned to leave and Mai, shaking her head, giggled softly and followed them back to base.

When they returned, they found Masako sitting in base staring out of the window. As soon as they walked in, she turned around and smiled widely at Naru, who promptly ignored her. Her face fell slightly, but lit up again when he spoke her name.

"Hara-san," he began. "Did you sense anything when you and Matsuzaki-san were walking through the house?"

She hesitated before answering, disappointed he was asking about work related issues.

"Yes, I can sense a strong presence. It is filled with malice and hatred but… I can sense sorrow as well."

Naru nodded and then joined Lin, who had taken a place in front of the monitors.

At that moment, Ayako walked into base, a smug look on her face. Bou-san followed closely behind the red-haired woman, both hands clutching the back of his head.

_Looks like Ayako got her revenge_, thought Mai, grinning to herself.

Naru, on the other hand, didn't miss a beat. As soon as he caught sight of Bou-san he said, "Now that you're done fooling around, go and collect the temperatures I asked you to get earlier."

"But-" began Bou-san, but was cut off by Naru's glare. "Fine. Come on Mai, let's get this over with."

"Coming," chirped the girl as she grabbed the thermometer and followed Bou-san down the hall.

They walked in silence for a while, stopping now and then to record the temperature.

"So…" said Mai. "What happened between you and Ayako?"

Bou-san glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before speaking.

"I chased her outside, the rat got away, then she hit me."

He paused then said, "Several times."

Mai let out a soft giggle.

"It's not funny you know! My head hurts now!"

Mai just giggled harder but stopped suddenly when she noticed that the temperature in the room they currently occupied was much lower than the rest of the rooms.

"Bou-san," she said. "It's colder in this rooms then it is in the others. Look."

She showed him the thermometer, indicating how cold it was.

"Yeah, it does feel a little chillier in here, doesn't it?"

Mai nodded and looked around. They were in what appeared to be a bedroom on the second floor. A large 4-poster bed sat on one side of the room, with a hand crafted, wooden wardrobe rested against the opposite wall. Next to the wardrobe was a wooden desk, furnished out of the same material as the closet next to it. Opposite the door, was a large window covered with white, lace curtains that reached the floor.

Mai walked to the window and looked down. Below she could see the trees in the front of the house and the SPR van sitting in the driveway.

Then she remembered her dream, and with a horrifying gasp realized that this was the window she had seen the dark shadow in.

"We should go," stated Mai, her voice barely above a whisper.

She turned towards the door, but just as she reached the threshold it slammed shut.

Everything went pitch black.

Loud banging noises came from all over and a trembling of the floor sent Mai to her knees. Over the racket she could hear Bou-san reciting his chant.

"Naumaku sanmanda bazaradan kan, Naumaku sanmanda bazaradan kan."

Just as quickly as it had begun, the noise stopped and the lighting returned to normal.

Mai looked up to find Bou-san standing in the middle of the room panting. She was about to ask if he was okay when the door flew open.

Naru and Lin were the first to enter, followed closely by a worried looking Ayako with Masako trailing behind.

"Mai!" exclaimed the miko when she saw the girl on the floor. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Mai replied. "Just got knocked over is all."

"What happened?" asked Masako.

"We were taking the temperature of this room and noticed it was slightly colder than the others. We were about to leave when the door slammed shut, and there were loud banging noises everywhere, and the house was trembling."

"It seems the spirit has already noticed our presence here," came Naru's icy voice.

Mai looked over to see her boss staring at the wall space above the bed. She followed his gaze and her eyes opened wide.

There on the wall, written in what looked to be blood, were the words 'You belong to me'.

**xoxoxoxo**

John and Yasuhara had spent a good portion of the afternoon searching the local library for anything that pertained to the old house they were currently investigating. So far, they had nothing.

"Any luck?" Yasuhara asked John for what seemed like the millionth time.

The young priest sighed and shook his head.

"Nothing."

Yasuhara groaned in frustration. He had never had this big a problem finding information before. They had combed over every inch of this library but nothing seemed to hold any information about the old house. In his frustration, Yasuhara slammed his fist against the table he was currently sitting at, causing several books to cascade off the edge.

He was just about to suggest they head back empty-handed when a startled gasp reached his ears.

He looked over to see John bending over the pile of books he had just knocked off the table, an old newspaper in his hands.

"Yasuhara-san, take a look at this," said John as he handed the college student the paper.

The boy's eyes widened behind his glasses as he read the words written on the paper.

"Ohhhh, Naru-chan's not going to like this."

**xoxoxoxo**

Naru and the rest of the team sat scattered around the base. Since the incident in the bedroom, no other spiritual activity had occurred.

Naru took a quick glance at everyone in the room, annoyed with the fact that none of them seemed to be doing any work. Mai sat with her head in her hands staring into space, obviously bored. Ayako and Bou-san had started arguing again about who knows what, while Masako sat in silence, trying to catch his eye. Lin and himself were both trying to find some sort of clue in the footage from the camera that had been placed in the bedroom.

Naru sighed and returned his glare back to the screens in front of him as if doing so would make them show what had happened in the upstairs bedroom. The monitors, however, were immune to his glare and continued to show nothing but a dark picture.

This case may be harder than I had originally thought, Naru said to himself.

The distant sound of a car door slamming brought Naru out of his thoughts and he glanced out the window. He briefly saw John and Yasuhara walking towards the house before they disappeared as they reached the front door. Seconds later they both walked into base, each holding a small stack of newspapers.

"What did you find?" Naru asked before anyone could interfere.

Yasuhara was the first to respond.

"Well, at first we couldn't find anything at all. It was as if this house had never existed. But then we saw these newspapers."

He handed Naru the stack of papers he was holding and pointed to the front page of the top newspaper.

Mai got up and walked behind Naru, trying to read the paper over his shoulder. Naru became increasingly aware of her presence behind him and silently berated his heart for hammering so hard. He tried to ignore her and pulled his mind back into focus. He looked down at the paper now in his hands and began to read.

**Murder In Old Yukishiro Manor**

_November 14, 2010_

_'The bodies of the Inoue family were found early yesterday morning in the old Yukishiro Manor when Watanabe Akira, the current owner and caretaker of the house, stopped by for some routine maintenance. He found the entire family lying on the floor of the home when he entered. He immediately called for help, but according to the Medical Examiner, they were dead before his arrival._

_The cause of death for both Inoue Haruo and his wife Masaaki was two large stab wounds in the chest made by a sharp kitchen knife. Their son, Koji, also died of several slashes to the upper body. Misao, their daughter, is said to have died from strangulation, with no signs of any other wounds._

_Police believe the suspect to be young Kato Hiroki, the son of a friend of the family, and fiancé to Inoue Misao. Evidence suggests that Hiroki entered the home two nights ago and attacked the family, killing them all before stabbing himself in the chest. Police are still investigating the reason behind the murders, which bear a significant resemblance to the Yukishiro murders that occurred there nearly fifty years ago, in which Watanabe Akira himself was involved in.'_

Naru looked up at Yasuhara after he had finished with a raised eyebrow. He passed the paper to the others in the room and waited until they had all read it.

"Looks like Watanabe-san didn't tell us everything he knows," said Yasuhara.

"Do you have information on the Yukishiro murders mentioned here?" Naru asked Yasu.

The college student shook his head.

"We couldn't find anything about it. We looked through all the newspapers, but there's only snippets here and there that mention it."

Naru glared at nothing in particular. He wasn't very happy to find that his client hadn't been completely truthful with him. Especially since his name is mentioned in both of these murder cases.

"Get Watanabe-san here. Now."

"Right away, Big Boss!" said Yasuhara happily.

"Mai," said Naru, startling the girl behind him. "Tea. And when you've finished, look through these papers and see if there is anything useful. The rest of you can help."

There was a simultaneous groan from the rest of the team as they got to work.

**xoxoxoxo**

**Please review!**

**Update soon (^_^)**


	5. Dreams

**Here's the next chapter!**

**I apologze if, towards the end, it gets kind of... well... crappy =/ It's late. I'm tired. 'Nuff said. **

**But I really wanted to get a chapter out so hopefully you somewhat like it!**

***Crosses fingers***

**Anywho, enough of me blabbering... ON WITH THE STORY! (:**

**xoxoxoxo**

_Mai opened her eyes to find that she was standing at the edge of the garden just outside the house. The sun had fallen and the moon cast a bluish glow over the scenery. Before her stood a metal archway, painted white, that served as an entry way into the garden. Engraved into the sides of the archway were intricate patterns of vines and flowers. At her feet, Mai noticed a brick pathway that led from the house, through the archway, and into the garden where it split into two paths. In the dark, Mai could just barely make out the tops of the trees residing in the garden._

_A hand on Mai's shoulder nearly made her jump out of her skin. She turned to find Gene standing next to her, his hand still resting on her shoulder, staring into the dark expanse of the garden before them. He glanced at her and without a word, entered the garden, and Mai followed close behind._

_They took the path to the left and followed it around the bend. Ahead of them Mai could see a stone bench that rested amongst the flowerbeds. On the bench sat a beautiful young woman with long, flowing, blond hair. She wore a light-pink dress, covered in lace, that reached the ground. Her facial features were soft, and she had a smile that lit up her whole face. Her bright blue eyes were watching a young man who was standing to the side of the bench. He was rather tall and had short brown hair. Mai noticed that he was also smiling as he gazed at the young woman before him._

_The two by the bench were talking, and as Gene and Mai drew closer they were able to hear some of their conversation._

_'Hiroki, why have you brought me out here?' asked the young woman._

_Hiroki looked gently at her and responded, 'I have something important to talk to you about, Misao.'_

_'What is it?'_

_If possible, Hiroki's smile stretched even farther across his face. Suddenly he got on one knee and grasped Misao's hands with his own._

_'Misao, from the first moment I met you, no, from the first moment I _saw_ you, I have loved you with all my heart.'_

_At this point he let go of her hands, dug in one of his pockets, and presented her with a small black box. The girl gasped as he opened it to reveal a small, simple, diamond ring._

_'I ask you this now… will you spend the rest of your life with me? Will you marry me?'_

_'Of course I will!' exlaimed Misao, and she threw herself upon Hiroki in a warm embrace before kissing him fully on the lips. They stayed like that for a moment longer before they finally broke apart._

_'We should go inside and tell the others the news.' said Misao._

_Hiroki nodded silently and the two turned and headed in the direction of the house._

_As Mai watched them pass, she noticed the look of pure happiness that appeared on the faces of the young couple. She found that she herself was smiling as she watched them disappear around the bend._

_He smile faded, however, when she turned to look at her spirit guide. Gene was not smiling at all. Instead, his face was grim as he continued to gaze at the bench which Misao and Hiroki had recently vacated._

_'Gene what's wro-?' began Mai but was cut off as a rustling noise was heard. She turned her head towards the source of the sound and her eyes widened when they focused in on a dark shadowy figure that had emerged from the bushes behind the bench. Its shape was undoubtedly human, but the edges of its form were not well defined and it seemed to float in the air. It's bright red eyes, that Mai instantly recognized, were staring at the now empty space where the couple had disappeared moments ago._

_Before Mai could ask what that shadowy figure was, the scenery changed, and she now found herself in the living room inside the house. Immediately she noticed that the atmosphere here was the polar opposite of that in the garden._

_There were five people gathered in the room and fear permeated the air. A man who looked to be about fifty or sixty sat on the couch with, Mai assumed, his wife. A young boy stood in one corner of the room, while a young woman Mai soon realized was Misao stood in the opposite corner._

_All eyes were riveted on the fifth person standing in the middle of the room. It was Hiroki, but his demeanor was very different than it had been in the garden. His mouth was turned upwards in a sadistic smirk and his eyes glowed red. He stood slightly crouched over and he held a knife in one of his hands. As soon as she saw the red eyes, Mai knew that this young man had been possessed by the shadowy figure._

_All of a sudden, Hiroki's body moved until he stood before the elderly man on the couch. Without hesitation, he shoved the knife he was holding into the older man's chest. Blood splashed all over the couch, staining it red._

_Several screams rang throughout the room, but before anybody could move, Hiroki turned his blade on the old woman, killing her the same way he had her husband._

_'Mother! Father! NO!' shouted Misao._

_Whatever was possessing Hiroki ignored her screams as its eyes roamed the room, searching for its next victim. They landed on the young boy, now crouched in the corner with his hands over his head, crying. In the next instant, blood splattered the walls as the knife slashed across the boy's upper body several times, causing him to scream out in agony._

_Mai tried to reach out to the boy but was stopped by Gene, who shook his head sadly when she turned to look at him._

_'There's nothing you can do, Mai. It's in the past.'_

_Tears gathered in her eyes as she nodded and turned back to watch the rest of the scene play out._

_She watched as Hiroki turned towards the only other living person in the room. Misao was staring horror-struck at her now dead family, tears running down her cheeks._

_'Hiroki… why…?' she choked out between sobs._

_The young man didn't answer. Instead he slowly began to advance towards her, knife raised. Suddenly he lunged at her and she barely dodged out of the way of his slash. They continued this way for several minutes until finally he had her backed into a wall. Once again he raised his knife for the final blow. Just as he was about to stab her, his arm stopped moving forward. Instead, it seemed to be turning back on himself._

_'No!' Hiroki shouted. 'I won't let you have her!'_

_Mai noticed Hiroki's eyes were no longer red, and she assumed that he must have gained some control over himself. He continued to struggle with the knife in his hands for a few more moments before he lodge it in his own chest. A loud scream permeated the air, and the shadowy figure was thrown violently from Hiroki._

_Misao knelt down next to her beloved and threw her arms around him._

_'I'm so sorry… please… forgive me.' said Hiroki in-between breaths._

_'No! Don't say that!' shouted Misao._

_'Please... you must get out of here... hurry... before it's to late.'_

_'I won't leave you!'_

_'Please… please,'_

_Mai saw the figure on the ground begin to rise and she looked quickly back at the other two._

_'Run! You… have to go now!' she heard Hiroki whisper to Misao._

_She watched as Misao nodded and stood._

_'I… I love you,' said Hiroki as Misao turned and ran._

_She didn't get very far, however, before the shadow caught up with her and threw her into a nearby wall. Mai watched in horror as it began choking the young woman, slowly draining the life out of her. Just as Misao's body went limp, the shadowy figure began to laugh manically._

_Suddenly the figure turned around and glared straight at Mai with those evil red eyes._

_'Mai!' she heard Gene call, as if from a distance._

_She looked around frantically for him but couldn't see him anywhere. Everything had turned to darkness and Gene had just… disappeared._

_'MAI!' she heard him call again, more urgently this time._

_When she turned back around, she found red eyes inches from her own. She screamed and quickly stepped back. Laughter filled the air around her as the shadowy face moved closer to her again._

_'You belong to me,' said a voice that seemed to come from everywhere._

_Suddenly, Mai felt hands on her shoulders and she shuddered at their cold touch. The hands pushed her backwards and she stumbled in the dark before falling through the blackness._

**xoxoxoxo**

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	6. Death

**Okay I realize the last couple of chapters don't exactly flow, but here's the chapter that will connect them! **

**So have no fear, the next chapter is here!**

**Read on! (:**

**xoxoxoxo**

Naru sighed as he listened to Yasuhara once again attempt to contact Watanabe Akira. They had been calling him for the past four hours, but were unable to reach him, even though they tried every possible phone number he could be reached at. They left him several messages but he had failed to return their calls.

The rest of the team were still paging through the newspapers John and Yasuhara had brought back from the library. The papers ranged in date from the present to as old as 1960. Other than a few articles that briefly mention it, they were unable to find any information pertaining to the Yukishiro murder case fifty years ago. For once Naru was baffled. How could a series of deaths go unnoticed by the local newspapers?

Naru sighed as he watched the others flip through page after page with no results. It was getting late, and everyone was looking rather tired. His roaming eyes landed on his brown-haired assistant, who had fallen asleep almost as soon as they had started.

_Typical_, he thought.

He continued watching her for a while, taking in the gentle expression on her face as she slept. He wondered briefly what she was dreaming about, but regretted it immediately. The thought that Mai and Gene might be together right now gave Naru an unexplainable ache in his chest. He turned his gaze away from her, more irritated now then he was before.

He was rubbing his eyes, trying to make himself focus on the case again, when a hand on his shoulder made him turn. He saw Lin standing next to him, looking at him with concern.

"You should go rest," he said quietly so the others wouldn't hear.

"I'm fine," replied Naru, trying to hide his tiredness that had been weighing down on him for a while.

"No, you're not. Your tired. I can see it in your eyes. There's not much going on at the moment. We're still awaiting Watanabe-san's reply. The others and I can monitor base for a while."

Naru thought sleep sounded good, but he also wanted to continue working. For some reason he had a bad feeling about this case, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible. He continued to glare at Lin and was about to object when Lin held up a hand to silence him.

"You won't be of any use to anyone if you're dead on your feet. Now go rest. We will inform you if anything happens."

His words were final and left no place for objection. Naru glared at him a moment longer before silently standing and walking out of base.

His feet carried him to the boys bedroom and into the bathroom where he stopped in front of the sink to look in the mirror. For several long minutes, he gazed at himself and in doing so, noticed dark shadows under his eyes. Lin was right, his tiredness was beginning to show. He turned the water on and splashed some across his face. When he looked back into the mirror above the sink, he froze.

There, staring back at him, was not his own reflection, but a slightly younger looking version of himself.

"Gene," he breathed. "What's going on? What are you doing here? Why did yo-?"

He was cut off when Gene's passive face, turned to one of panic. His mouth began moving but no sound could be heard.

"Gene, I can't hear you. What's going on?" He ask once again.

The next time Gene spoke, Naru almost wished he hadn't. Gene's voice could now be heard, clear as day, but the words his lips formed made Naru's blood run cold.

Without hesitation, he sprinted out of the room and ran back to base, all the while the five words Gene had said played through his mind.

_'Mai is going to die!'_

After what seemed like an eternity, he burst into base and quickly analyzed the situation. Mai was on the floor, arms flailing widely about her and her mouth was open in a silent scream. She appeared to still be asleep. The others were gathered around her, calling out her name and trying to rouse her. Nothing seemed to be working however, as the girl continued to thrash around on the floor. Preoccupied as he was, he didn't notice the obvious drop in temperature as he entered the room.

"Mai!" he called out as he made his way over to her.

He grabbed her arms and held them to her sides to prevent her from injuring herself. He continued his attempts to wake her, but she remained in her sleeping state.

All of a sudden her body went rigid and her breathing became ragged. Thinking it was safe to do so, Naru released her arms. Immediately they flew up and she began clawing at her neck.

"Naru," said Masako and he turned around to look at her. "There's a spirit here."

After she spoke, she fainted and was caught by John.

Naru returned his attention to Mai. She was now gasping for air as if she was being choked, her hands clawing ever more frantically at her neck.

"Takigawa-san!" yelled Naru.

"Right!" came the monks reply, and he began his chant.

John joined in with his prayer, throwing his holy water in front of him.

There was a loud screech and the lights flickered as the two increased the intensity of their exorcism.

Suddenly everything went quiet and the lights returned to normal. Naru thought he saw a dark shadow fly out the door, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. He looked at Mai and saw that she had gone completely still. Ayako instantly began checking her vital signs for anything abnormal.

After a moment, the priestess sighed.

"She's alright, just sleeping now. But…"

"What is it?" asked John.

"She's bruising around the neck."

Sure enough, dark angry bruises were beginning to form around her neck, vaguely taking the form of human hands.

Naru watched as Takigawa picked up the sleeping girl and laid her gently on the sofa. John in the meantime, went to help Masako, who was just beginning to wake up.

"Someone tell me what happened." said Naru, barely controlling his anger. Mai had been in real danger yet he could do nothing for her, and that angered him.

"Well…" began Yasuhara. "We were sitting here, looking though the newspapers, when suddenly Mai fell off her chair and began thrashing around on the floor."

"We tried to wake her but she wouldn't wake up," continued Takigawa.

"That's when you came in," said Ayako.

"Masako, was the spirit you just sensed now the same one from earlier?" asked Naru.

"Yes," She replied weakly. "It was the same. I felt its hatred."

"I see," he said, more to himself than anyone in particular. "Lin, look through the footage of base from the last few minutes."

Lin nodded and headed over to the monitors.

"The rest of you finish looking through these papers. Look for anything that may elude to who this spirit is."

They got to work immediately as Naru sat down in an armchair across from Mai. He was getting more and more annoyed by everything about this case. The client, the spirit, and the lack of information were wearing on his nerves. And now it seemed Mai had become the target of yet another spirit. He looked at the sleeping girl and silently swore to himself he would solve this case before anything else happened to her.

**xoxoxoxo**

_Mai tried to grasp at anything she could as she fell through the darkness, but there was nothing there to grab a hold of. She continued to fall farther and farther into nothingness, screaming._

_All of a sudden she stopped. It wasn't as if she hit the bottom of anything, she just... stopped falling. Everything was still pitch black, but she could feel another presence near her._

_"Gene?" she called. "Gene, is that you?"_

_There was no answer. She looked around desperately trying to find an escape from this nightmare._

_The presence she felt grew closer, and she began to panic. She felt a brush of air on the back of her neck, as if someone were breathing on her. She whipped around but found nothing but the inky blackness. She turned back around only to find those terrifying red eyes staring at her once again. She screamed and tried to run the other way._

_"You cannot escape," a voice rang out of the dark. "You belong to me!"_

_Suddenly Mai found herself on her back, the shadowy figure with red eyes kneeling over top of her. Cold hands wrapped themselves around her neck and began to squeeze. Mai tried desperately to pry them off, but it was no use. The shadow was too strong for her._

_Just when she thought she was going to suffocate, the hands released her. There was a loud screech and the shadow was lifted off her. She sat up and coughed as she tried to catch her breath, her lungs greedily taking in oxygen._

_Her eyes became foggy and she laid back down, slowly drifting off into a dreamless sleep._

**xoxoxoxo**

It was nine o'clock in the evening when Mai finally opened her eyes. She glanced around and found that she was lying on the couch in base. All was quiet except for the sound of typing coming from Lin, who sat in front of the monitors. No one else was visible.

_They must have all gone to bed,_ thought Mai as she noticed the time.

She opened her mouth to ask Lin where Naru was, but soon stopped when a sharp pain shot up her neck. She gingerly touched her neck and felt large welts where she had been choked.

_What?_ She thought. _But that happened in my dreams. How did I get these bruises in real life?_

Her train of thought was interrupted when a glass of water appeared in front of her face. She looked up to find Naru holding the glass out to her. She took it gladly.

She attempted to say 'thanks' but all that came out was a hoarse whisper. She greedily took a sip of water, wincing at the pain when she swallowed.

"How are you feeling?" asked Naru unemotionally.

"Better now," she was able to choke out amongst the pain.

Naru nodded and after a moment, he handed Mai a notebook and a pen. Mai took them, looking questioningly at her boss.

"I need you to tell me what you saw."

Mai nodded and began writing down what she had experienced in her dreams. When she had finished, Naru took the notebook and read through what she had written.

"I see," he said thoughtfully. "So the ghost was the cause of the recent deaths in this house. That still doesn't explain what happened fifty years ago though. Yes, Mai?"

Mai had been waving her hands trying to get his attention. She grabbed the notebook again and wrote down her questions.

"What happened to me? Why did I get bruises?" Naru read her questions out loud. Without a word he walked over to the monitors and Mai followed silently.

"Lin, replay the footage of this afternoon."

Lin wordlessly obliged and Mai watched as the picture appeared on the monitor.

Mai saw herself asleep on the table, the others around her still looking through the newspapers. She watched as she suddenly fell off the chair and began thrashing around. She saw the others trying to wake her up, and Naru holding her arms down. She saw herself suddenly go still and she knew what was coming next. Then she saw a dark shadow appear above her, choking her, and she gasped. That was how she got those bruises! Not only did she get choked in her dream, but by the spirit in real life too! She continued to watch as Bou-san and John performed their exorcism and she saw the spirit fly out of the room.

Lin stopped the tape there.

"You fell asleep after that," stated Naru.

Mai just nodded and tried to stifle back a yawn.

_How can I still be tired? I slept practically all day!_

"Mai go to sleep. Everyone else has retired, we'll continue the investigation in the morning."

Mai was about to object when Lin's phone rang. All three of them stared at it in shock. Who would be calling this late at night? Naru and Mai listened as Lin answered it.

"Madoka?" he said into the phone. "Yes. Yes. What? Are you absolutely positive it's him? Yes, I'll inform Naru immediately."

He hung up the phone and looked at Naru with unusually wide eyes.

"That was Madoka. She said there was an accident. Watanabe-san's house collapsed while he was still inside."

Lin paused before continuing.

"Naru, he's dead."

**xoxoxoxo**

**Please review!**

**Update soon (^_^)**


	7. Exodus

**I'm back! I'm sooooo sorry for the long wait. Things happened, blah blah blah, you don't wanna hear about... but now I'm back and ready to finish this story! So without any further distractions, here's the next chapter! **

**Enjoy! (:**

**xoxoxoxo**

A heavy silence hung over the occupants of the room. After the disturbing phone call from Madoka, the entire team had assembled at the base. Nobody spoke a word, yet the same thoughts were flowing through each and every mind.

Never before had one of their clients died, especially one that wasn't even near the place of haunting. Yet Mai knew deep down it had to be the work of the spirit haunting this place. Houses just don't collapse every day of their own accord.

Once the rest of the team had been informed of Akira's death, Naru had Lin call Madoka and tell her to gather as much information about the collapsed house as possible. Now they waited in silence for any news.

As she waited, Mai tried to make sense of the events of the last 24 hours. The spirit has made itself known, rather violently, several times now, but so far they have gained hardly any useful information about it. Mai didn't like anything about this case. She had a bad feeling something horrible was going to happen, and for the very first time she secretly wished they would abandon the case and leave this place.

A sudden rap on the front door made almost everyone jump.

Lin exited the base to go open the door. Seconds later he was back, with Madoka following closely behind. In her hands was a large manila envelope filled with papers of all sorts. As soon as she entered the room, she walked straight over to Naru and handed him the folder.

"This was all the information I could gather from Watanabe-san's home. In that folder you'll find the coroner's report along with odds and ends I found amongst the ruins."

Naru just nodded silently as he glanced down at the folder.

"I'm afraid I can't stay. I have a flight to catch, but if you need anything else don't hesitate to call me."

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"Naru, this case is getting dangerous. Think carefully before you continue your investigation."

With that she turned on her heal and walked out. Moments later they heard the starting of a car and a low hum as it drove off into the distance.

Silence permeated the room once again as everyone waited on Naru. Everyone present knew that this case was getting out of hand and that this was the critical moment that would determine if they were going to stick it out or abandon it. The ultimate decision lay with Naru.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the young man spoke.

"Unfortunately, Mori-san is right. This case has gotten too dangerous to continue. We will begin packing immediately."

An audible sigh of relief swept through the room. Apparently nobody had any objections to leaving the case early. Even Mai was anxious to get out of this house.

Without hesitation, the team began to work together to pack up the equipment as fast as possible. Soon the first boxes were ready to be taken out to the van. Bou-san and Mai volunteered to take them down.

As they walked to the front door, Mai shivered as she suddenly became cold. Startled she stopped walking. Bou-san noticed and turned around to look at her.

"Mai?" he asked.

"Something's wrong," she said. She knew the cold temperature wasn't caused by a draft. She looked around but didn't see anything. Fixing her gaze back at Bou-san she said, "Let's hurry."

Bou-san nodded in agreement and grabbed the handle of the door. He went to turn the handle but his hand just slipped around the knob.

"Uhhh…"

He tried again with the same result. Finally he set the box down he had been carrying and used both hands to try and open the door but the same thing happened: the door handle wouldn't turn. In desperation he began shoving his shoulder against the door, hoping to pry it open by force.

It wouldn't budge.

Suddenly a hard, cruel laugh sounded throughout the house.

"You cannot escape," came a voice. "You belong to me!"

The entire building began shaking violently, knocking Mai and Bou-san off their feet. A loud screeching sound pierced the air, causing Mai to bring her head to her knees, close her eyes, and put her hands over ears.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, everything grew quiet.

Mai slowly unfolded herself from her position on the floor. As soon as she opened her eyes, she wished she hadn't, for what she saw caused a shiver to run down her spine. Every surface of the house that she could see was covered in writing, blood red, and it all said the same thing: You belong to me.

Several thumping noises drew her attention to the stairs and she watched as the rest of the team came racing down the steps.

"Are you guys alright?" asked Ayako.

"Yeah we're ok, you?" said Bou-san.

"We're fine." Then she looked around. "It's the same."

"Pardon?"

"She means the writing," offered John. "It's all over upstairs as well."

"What happened down here?" Ayako asked.

As the team listened, Bou-san recounted the story of how he tried to open the door but failed.

"It seems as though this spirit doesn't want us to leave," stated Yasuhara.

Naru walked silently over to the door and attempted to open it but he faired no better than Bou-san had. After thinking for a moment, he walked out of the room only to return seconds later carrying a hammer. Where he had gotten a hammer Mai had no idea, but she continued watching him as he strolled up to one of the windows in the living room. He surveyed the window for a brief second, took a step back, and launched the hammer against it.

Those looking on all expected to hear a shattering noise as the hammer hit the glass, but it never came. Instead all they heard was a dull thunk. The hammer had bounced harmlessly off the window to land softly on the floor beneath.

"Well so much for that idea," mumbled Bou-san.

"Everyone back to the base," ordered Naru, still staring at the unbroken window. "Set up all the equipment again."

He then turned around to look at everyone standing in the room.

"Our only way out now is to solve this case."

** xoxoxoxo**

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	8. Repose

**Hello all! New chappy is here!**

**I originally intended to make this longer, but it seemed like a good place to stop.**

**But enough of me blabbering... Read the chapter already! (:**

**xoxoxoxo**

Naru glared in frustration at the file of papers Madoka had left him. While the others were busy re-setting up base, he was combing the large stack for any information that would help them solve this case.

So far, he had nothing.

He continued to flip through page after page, constantly aware of Mai's frequent glance in his direction. His heartbeat sped up as he tried to focus on what he was doing.

Finally, something caught his eye. It was the coroner's report Madoka had mentioned. His eyes widened a fraction as he read. The cause of death was not something you'd expect from having a house collapse on you. According to the coroner, Watanabe Akira was killed by strangulation.

_This ghost is more powerful than I originally thought if he can kill a man that far from this house_, thought Naru.

He put the coroner's report to the side and continued to look through the papers. His vision was obscured however, when a tea cup was thrust in front of his face. He looked up to see Mai holding the cup out to him, smiling like she always did. As he took the cup from her he looked at her more closely and could see from her eyes that she was tired. He glanced around at everyone else, now sitting around the base after having finished setting it up, and noticed that they too looked exhausted. With all that had happened recently, the team had not had much time for sleep. They had all been up most of the night dealing with the new situation, and he had to admit that he himself could feel the weight of this case taking it's toll on him.

"If you all are finished, I suggest we get some rest. I don't need a half asleep team messing up this case more than it already is," ordered Naru.

Too tired to argue, everyone shuffled out of base and into their respective sleeping quarters. Last to leave, Mai paused at the door.

"Aren't you coming too, Naru?" she asked when she noticed he had not moved.

Without looking up he replied, "In a minute."

She was quiet for a moment before deciding to leave. As she slipped through the door she spoke.

"Alright well, goodnight."

Naru didn't moved as he listened to her footsteps retreat down the hallway. When he heard the door to the women's bedroom open then close, he let out a sigh he hadn't realized he was holding.

He still couldn't get over how that girl made him feel just by being in the same room.

What's wrong with me? he thought.

Calming his racing heart, he sighed once more before standing and heading to the guy's room for some rest.

**xoxoxoxo**

Mai could not remember the last time she felt so tired. She knew she wasn't the only one. Just looking at their faces, she could see how exhausted everyone was. Despite the fact that the sun would be coming up in a couple of hours, everyone was preparing for sleep. She, of course, had no objections to this, and continued getting herself ready for bed.

"How is your throat?"

Mai looked over at Ayako, who was in the process of crawling into bed.

She smiled and said, "It's much better."

It was true. There was still some pain, but at least she could talk without wincing.

Ayako nodded as she stifled a yawn.

"Good. Well I suppose we should all get some sleep so we can kick this ghost in the ass for causing us so much trouble."

Giggling, Mai pulled the covers over herself as Masako shut off the lights. Her head just barely hit the pillow before she was asleep.

**xoxoxoxo**

_"Ko! Ko!"_

_Mai raised her head at the call._

_"Yukishiro Ko! Come down here now please!"_

_"I'm coming father!" she heard herself reply._

_Putting down the book she had been reading, she stood and looked briefly into the floor-length mirror that hung on the wall. What she saw was not her own sixteen year old body, but that of an astonishingly beautiful young girl, about twenty years of age. Milky-green eyes stared out of a face framed by long dark hair that reached down to her waist. Adorning her body was a long frilly pink dress. A quick glance around the room told Mai that she, or rather this person Ko, was in one of the upstairs bedrooms of the manor._

_Ko moved swiftly through the door, down the stairs, and into main room on the ground floor. Standing on the other side of the room was a tall man with cropped black hair. Familiar milky-green eyes watched her as she entered the room._

_"Ah, Ko, good," the man said. "There's someone I would like you to meet."_

_As he spoke his gaze was directed towards a figure she hadn't noticed before, sitting in a chair next to her father._

_"Ko, I'd like to introduce you to Nakamura Daisuke, you're fiancé."_

_The young man stood and bowed as her father spoke. Brown hair layered the top of his head as dark blue eyes took her in. Donned in a black suit, he smiled in her direction._

_But she didn't notice any of it._

_Instead, she stared at her father in shock._

_"But Fa-," she began._

_"Ko, where are your manners!" interrupted her Father._

_She narrowed her eyes at Daisuke before she said through clenched teeth, "It's a pleasure to meet you"._

_"The pleasure is all mine," Daisuke replied, either not noticing her fury or ignoring it. He crossed the room, took her hand, and kissed it gently._

_Anger flooded through her and she whipped her hand out of his, glaring sharply at her father._

_How could he do this to her? She wanted to run. She wanted to scream. But instead she continued to stare vehemently at the man who was the cause of all of this._

_"How could you?" She finally asked._

_Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and walked purposefully out of the room, a small tear making a trail down her cheek._

**xoxoxoxo**

Mai awoke to something wet running down her face. A quick brush of her hand across her cheek told her she was crying. The emotions of Yukishiro Ko were still fresh in her mind as she recalled her dream.

Ko, who used to live here, was forced into an arranged marriage. Mai remembered the newspaper article about the Yukishiro Manor, and made the connection to the girl in her dream.

So this all happened 50 years ago, she thought.

Glancing at the clock, she realized she had only been sleeping for an hour.

Deciding to tell Naru about her dream later, she turned over and fell back asleep.

**xoxoxoxo**

**Well there you have it, the first glance at the back story for this case.**

**The next chapter will be longer I promise, for it's going to be filling in a lot of the missing pieces (how exciting!).**

**Anywho...**

**Please Review!**

**Update soon (^_^)**


	9. Intermission

**Hey all!**

**I know it's been a while... a long, long, long (how many longs?) while. Please don't shoot me! O.O**

**I have wanted to finish this story for a while but things were happening in my life that kept me distracted. For instance I am now married, own a house, and have a 3 month old son! So to say the least I've been a little busy...**

**However, I am here to tell you all that I am in the process of finishing this story! Yay! So Please sit tight and I will do my best to update as often as I can! (There should be a new chapter up soon!)**

**A special thank you to all who have stuck with this story despite the long absence and to the reviewers that encouraged me to finish. If not for you guys this story wouldn't exist at all!**

**(^.^)**


	10. Progress

**Finally! I got another chappie up! Took me a little longer than I had originally anticipated (I only have so much time to do this nowadays) but I finally got it (:**

**Anywho, hope you all enjoy!**

**XOXOXOXO**

"Mai."

"Mai."

"Mai!"

"Who, what, when, where, why?" mumbled the girl as she opened her eyes. Mai looked around and saw Ayako standing over her.

"Geez, get up already. You sleep like a rock!"

Mai groaned as she sat up. She must not have moved an inch all night because every muscle in her body ached. Once she mustered enough strength she stood, dressed, and made her way to the base. She barely made it over the threshold when that famous call reached her ears.

"Mai, tea."

"Yeah, yeah," said Mai as she stifled a yawn. She retreated back out the door to the kitchen and busied herself with making the tea.

When she returned, she noticed everyone was still rifling through all the newspapers. Everyone except Naru, and Lin who were both on computers doing who knows what.

Mai silently handed Naru his tea then joined the others, hoping they could find something to help solve this case.

_The sooner we get out of here the better,_ thought Mai.

**XOXOXOXO**

_Mai stood with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot impatiently. Once again she found herself in her dream world and was annoyed with herself for having fallen asleep again._

_'I need to drink more caffeine,' she stated out loud._

_A small chuckle came from behind her. She turned as her spirit guide walked up to her with his usual smile on his face._

_'Gene,' said Mai, as she returned the smile._

_'Hello, Mai.'_

_For a long moment they just stared at each other. Finally breaking the silence, Mai asked the one question that had been floating in her mind._

_'Why? Why are you here?'_

_'What's the matter, didn't you miss me?'_

_'Of course I did! It's just…'_

_'It's OK Mai. I'm back because I want to be.'_

_'What do you mean?'_

_'I'm here to protect and guide you, like before.'_

_Mai just looked at him with a blank expression._

_'Remember how I helped you in your earlier cases?'_

_'Yes, I do.'_

_'Well when my brother left you, there were no more cases, therefore no need for me to be there. But now that you are ghost hunting again, I came back.' _

'_So you're saying that as long as Naru and I are together, you will be there to help me?'_

_Gene gave a little laugh and Mai replayed what she had just said in her head. Her face turned red and she stammered out an explanation._

_'I-I-I mean… together… Naru and I… ghost hunting…'_

_She trailed off as Gene's laughter grew louder._

_'Don't worry Mai, I know what you meant,' he said once his laughter subsided. 'I need to have a little chat with my brother about that,' he added under his breath._

_'What was that?' asked Mai. _

_'Nothing. Now, it's time.'_

_'Time for what?'_

_Instead of answering, Gene just turned and pointed._

_Mai turned as well and found herself standing in the garden outside of the mansion, only it looked a little different. She figured out why when Yukishiro Ko stepped out from behind a tree. _

_'This is fifty years ago, isn't it?' asked Mai._

_Gene only nodded and Mai looked back at Ko, who was now talking to a man who's face she couldn't see. She stepped closer and inhaled sharply. It was Watanabe Akira, a much younger version, but Mai was still able discern some familiar features._

_'Oh Akira-kun, what are we going to do?' cried Ko as Mai looked on. 'My father will never approve of us now.'_

_Akira's face was grim as he replied, 'I think your father already knows.'_

_Ko looked up, confusion written on her face._

_'What do you mean?'_

_'I think your father has had his suspicions for a while now. Whenever we are in the same room together he glares at me. I also think I'm the reason he brought Daisuke into this: to stop you from ever marrying me. Thus he's forcing you to marry Nakamura-san.'_

_'But I don't love him! I love you and want to be with you!'_

_'I know, but...'_

_'I won't let my father do this to me, to us. Akira, let's run away!'_

_'What?'_

_'Yes, let's run away together. That's the only way we will be free to love each other. If my father is going to go to such lengths to keep us apart by forcing my hand in marriage then I don't want to be a part of this family.'_

_'But Ko, I...'_

_'Akira, I want to be with you, only you. That's all that matters to me. Don't you feel the same?'_

_'Of course I do,' Akira sighed and looked at Ko for a long moment. Sighing once again but this time with a small smile on his face he said, 'If we do this it has to be tonight. I don't know what your father has in store for you and Daisuke, but something tells me he won't be wasting any time.'_

_'Oh Akira! I love you so much!' exclaimed Ko as she threw her arms around him._

_'Come. We must hurry.'_

_They began walking back towards the mansion when everything went black. Mai, startled, whipped her head around and exhaled when she saw that Gene was still with her. Just as suddenly she found herself standing in one of the hallways of the mansion. In front of her she saw Nakamura Daisuke talking on an old fashioned telephone that was hanging on one of the walls. She moved closer so she could hear what he was saying._

_'It won't be much longer now. Her father wants us married soon, and once that happens, well… good-bye daddy, hello inheritance. Hahaha!'_

It sounds like he's plotting to kill Ko's father_, thought Mai. _He wants more than just the girl.

_Daisuke stopped laughing abruptly. The cause for distraction came from a loud bang at the end of the hallway._

_'I have to go. Someone's coming,' he whispered into the phone. He hung up and crept down the hall towards the source of the sound. _

_Mai followed close behind, wondering herself what the sound was. As they neared the end of the hall, she could hear whispering coming from the doorway to the right._

_'Shhh,' came the hushed voice of Ko. 'You're going to wake everyone up!'_

_'Sorry,' replied Akira._

_Mai watched as Daisuke peeked around the corner and saw Akira and Ko dragging two large bags through the kitchen. His eyes widened as he realized they must be running away. Mai saw the look on his face go from shock to fury. What happened next was a blur._

_Daisuke stepped into the kitchen, anger turning his face a deep shade of red._

_'What do you two think you are doing?'_

_Having been caught in the act, the two lovers froze. Finally Ko summoned up enough courage to face the angered man._

_'We are running away. I don't care what my father says, I will never marry you!'_

_'You fool!' yelled Daisuke. 'You've ruined everything! I won't let you go! You belong to me! You and I are going to marry whether you like it or not. I will not let my chance at your father's fortune walk out that door.'_

_'What are you talking about?'_

_'Don't you know how much you stand to gain when your father dies? I will have your inheritance no matter the cost. As I said before, you belong to me!'_

_A look of understanding flashed across Akira's face._

_'You are planning on murdering Yukishiro-san!' he shouted._

_Ko gave an audible intake of breath. Daisuke, on the other hand, started to laugh._

_'So, my secret is revealed. But I can't have you running to daddy now, can I?'_

_An evil glint appeared in his eyes as he stalked towards the couple. He grabbed a kitchen knife from the counter and pointed it at them. Akira placed himself in front of Ko, blocking her from Daisuke's rage. Without warning, the side door to the kitchen swung open and in walked a young man of about fifteen._

_'I heard shouting and came to see what happe...' he trailed off as Daisuke changed his course and charged at the boy._

_'Minori!' Shouted Ko as Daisuke raised the knife and slashed it across the boy's chest. Ko screamed as she watched helplessly. Akira made to go after Daisuke but it was too late. Minori slumped to the floor and lay still. Before anyone could do anything else the door to the kitchen opened once again, and Ko's parents came rushing in._

_'What's going on here?' shouted Yukishiro-san._

_Before anyone could blink, Daisuke plunged the knife into the older man's chest two times then turned to his wife and did the same. They both fell to the floor and didn't move. Daisuke stared blankly at the three lifeless bodies he had just murdered._

_Taking advantage of his pause, Akira whispered in Ko's ear, telling her to run. They both dashed through the kitchen and exited into the hallway. Hearing the noise of their escape, Daisuke looked up just in time to see Akira's foot disappear out the door. He tightened his grip on the knife and rushed after them. _

_He chased them all the way to the living room where he caught up with Akira. He grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. Daisuke raised the knife once again, but Akira was faster. He took a hold of Daisuke's arm that was holding the knife and twisted it. Daisuke yelled out in pain and dropped the knife. _

_Akira tore himself out of Daisuke's grip and ran for the door._

_'Ko, let's go!' he shouted._

_Ko was about to follow when she saw Daisuke pick the knife off the floor and raise it back. A look of understanding dawned on her face. What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion._

_Mai watched as Ko screamed out and dove in front of Akira, placing herself in the direct path of the knife; the knife that had just left Daisuke's hand. A sharp intake of breath was the only indication Ko gave that she had been hit._

_"No!" Akira yelled as he stretched out his arms to catch Ko, who started to fall to the ground. Blood was pouring out around the edges of the knife, staining her clothes red. Akira reached to grab for the knife but Ko stopped his hand with hers._

_"No, Akira you mustn't," she breathed. "Don't become a murderer like him."_

_Akira let the knife lay and wrapped Ko in his arms._

_"I don't want to lose you," he choked._

_"Nor I you… but we will be with each other again… I will never stop loving you, even though my life is ending… I will… always… love… you."_

_Ko trailed off as her breathing became harsh and erratic. She looked up at Akira and gave a small smile before the light left her eyes and she fell limp in the young man's arms. Akira clutched her body to his chest and buried his face in her hair and Mai could see him shaking as he cried over Ko's death. _

_The sound of footsteps made Mai jump. She'd completely forgotten about daisuke. So, apparently, had Akira for his head snapped up and he watched as Daisuke bent down and picked up the knife. Akira moved to stand but then froze as Daisuke raised the knife towards him. Without warning Daisuke turned the knife towards himself and plunged it into his own chest. He gasped as he fell to his knees. Raising his head his gaze met Akira's for a moment before he toppled over and remained still. _

_That was the last Mai saw as the image faded and everything went black._

**XOXOXOXO**

Naru scowled at the computer screen. All this time searching and no one had turned up a drop of evidence pertaining to the case. He had been searching through multiple files but still couldn't find a thing. His frustration was growing with every passing minute. The longer they were stuck here, the more danger they were in. He glanced over at Mai who was obviously sound asleep with her head on the table. The last thing he wanted was for anything else to happen to her.

He turned back to the computer and was looking through a webpage when Yasuhara suddenly stood, knocking over his chair, a stunned look on his face.

"Uh, I think I found something," he said, holding a stack of papers with a note attached to the front of them.

He handed the papers to Naru who took them and skimmed through them.

"These are the missing newspapers that tell about the Yukishiro murders we've been looking for. But why are they all here?"

He grabbed the note that was on top and read aloud.

'My dear Ko,

I see your face every time I enter the house. I have never stopped loving you. That's the reason I've stuck around, just to see your smile one more time. I couldn't bear the townspeople talking about your murder all the time so I retrieved all the public newspapers and kept them from those that would come snooping. I will see you again soon. I love you with all my heart.

Akira'.

There was a minute of silence before Bou-san opened his mouth.

"Well that explains why we couldn't find anything before. Akira didn't want people to know, he tried to protect this Ko even after she died."

"But why hide all the newspapers? Did he really care all that much about who knew what happened?" questioned Ayako. "Unless Ko was part of the murders."

Naru looked up from the papers. "No, Ko was just a victim. Most likely the reason for Akira's behavior is survivor's guilt. He felt the need to hide any evidence of what happened because he lost Ko and felt guilty that she was killed and he wasn't."

"I suppose that makes sense," acknowledged Ayako.

Everyone was quietly thinking over this new information when Mai suddenly gasped and sat up. All eyes turned to her as she looked around. She saw the others and gave a small smile.

"I know exactly what happened 50 years ago."

**XOXOXOXO**

**Hope you liked it!**

**Please review!**

**Update Soon! (^.^)**


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